Hoisting Sail.

The breeze from SE is offshore and flattens the Pittwater Scend making life aboard less alarming. 

Going onboard was still exciting, standing too far aft on the ski, with too heavy a backpack, the ski shoots away and gives me a partial funking. It was more amusing, than dangerous in hindsight. 

Getting work underway, the Boarding adder 2.0 will benefit from a deck pad to raise it off the scupper rail. 

Mucking about with the sails, I noticed the main working jib again ripped to the touch. Although the bulk of the cloth is on good condition, the last 300mm of leech is rotten. This is obviously the same area that was sun exposed when it was a furling sail. 

Plan B, the other jib. Fortunately, although it had been used as a furling sail, it was in much better shaped. The new hanks were hastily fitted, she was hoisted and looks great. 

Meanwhile the luff was measured with a view to buying some more secondhand sails. 

Mainsail next. With the old style boom cover, andcties off, she hoisted without drama. Any mainsheet tension sent her lurching forward on the mooring. I hastily rigged a reefing line and reduced sail. It looks lovely and fkat, setting powerfully. As usual for Folkboats, there I'd only one reef option. The tack was managed by a Cunningham (?) or downhaul. The reefing involves trips fore and aft, but is easily manageable, well at least with the boom tensioner set. 

I fiddled with the backstay too. Rerouting the dyneema through a plastic thimble, in lieu of a standard block, seems to work. 

No work on the electrics today. I'd left my screwdrivers on shore. 

The bilge was dry. 

On my way ashore I checked out a very fat Swanson 28. The freeboard is almost comically large, and this is the one called Samsara or similar which has been for sale for some months. She's notable for having a huge "queen seat" over the stern which looks quite strange. But, a serious contender for live aboard ocean cruiser. 

Moored alongside was a H28 Walker 28. She looked totally opposite, a low slung gunslinger with not much more freeboard than the Folkie. Yet, below, she has ample headroom and is quite spacious. 

On the beach, a group of four olds were having a rowdy time sploshing about in the water, making sand castles. Their collective joy was infectious. I watched the parents, same beach, same day, but way more subdued and i wondered about how we lose our crush our lust for self expression. How sad. I reflected on how liberating it is to be older and beyond caring. I didn't scream out with joy, but I did have a splash about and enjoy myself. 

Apart from being the day I set sails for the first time, today will go down as the day I got a flat on my motorbike and took two cans of zooshy foam and hours of slow motoring to reach home by 23:00 hrs. Relieved, but still with that raging toddler inside. I roasted some chicken thighs to have with cousin cousin, eggs, avo, feta and olive oil. Power on!